Toe-spreader.



Mia G88 e s W. M. SGHOLL.

TOE SPREADER. I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22; 1912.

1,080,304, Paten ted De.2,1913..

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50-, WASHINGTON, n. c.

WILLIAM M. SCHOLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOE-SPREADER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVILLIAM M. SoHoLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toe-Spreaders, of which the following is a specification.

toe-Spreaders, and has for its general object to provlde a simple and efficient structure which may be applied to the human' foot with comfort and ease for the wearer, l to spread apart the toes, thereby toaid in; the correction of bunions, soft corns and other troubles arising from the displacement of the toe phalanges, crowding of thetoes and dislocation of the joints.

longitudinal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; .Fig. a is a transverse section on line 4:-l of Fig. 2; Figs. 5 and 6 are details of supplemental reinforcing pillars.

and particularly in the treatment of bunions, it is desirable to interpose a spreader. between the great toe and the second toe,

thereby to force the phalanges of the great toe back toward normal position. In the provision of such toe spreaders it is important and desirable that the spreader beof a character which may comfortably be worn during the day-time; that it may be susceptible of adjustment as to its spreading effect, not to impose too severe or painful a straightening pressure upon the distorted great toe; that it be capable of ready application and shall not constrict any toe to impede circulation; that it shall remain in adj usted position; and, in many instances, that a spreading agent be interposed between the second toe and the middle toe, as the second toe is apt to be more or less distorted by the lateral pressure of the great toe. 1

For the attainment of these and other desiderata my invention contemplates the provision of a spreader structure, one specific embodiment of which is shown in the drawing, and which embodiment I will now specifically describe.

10 and 11 indicate respectively base and top members, preferably of similar oval form, connected by a continuous wall 12 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 1912.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913. Serial No. 672,598.

1 forming an oval preferably tapering toward its rear end, said wall, base and top members being preferably made integrally of a suitably molded piece of rubber to constitute jointly an ovate, open-centered spreadermember with top and bottom flanges extending therefrom in parallel planes to underlie My lnventlon relates to lmprovements III and overlie, respectively, the adjacent toes.

Near its front end the ovate wall 12 is preferably thickened on its inner side surfaces to form vertical stiffening ribs 13, to resist deflection at that point to a greater eX- tent than do the thinner walls in rear of the ribs. Said ribs 13 are preferably dished on their inner surfaces as at 14, to form in each separate side wall a retaining seat portion in which a plug or post may be fitted to be In the drawings, wherein I have shown an embodiment of my invention; Figure l is a plan view showing the application of the; device to the human foot; Fig. 2 is a plan view with the post in'section; Fig. 3 is a;

retained against displacement longitudinally of the spreader. For insertion in such seat a cylindrical, resilient plug 16 may be employed, two forms of plugs being shown respectively in Figs. 5 and 6, the plug 16 of Fig. 5 consisting of a section of rubber tubing having walls of suitable thickness for the intended increase in resistance to deflection, and the other plug 16 shown in Fig. In the treatment of many foot ailments,

6 consisting of a closed air-containing cylinder of rubber or other flexible material which may be employed as a pneumatic cushion, and having a resistance to compression depending upon the inflation of the cushion. By the insertion of plugs of different degrees of resistance or compression the spreading efl'ect of the reinforced front end of the device may be varied, the maximum resistance being localized in any event to the front end of the spreader.

This arrangement presents advantages, as the maximum spreading effect takes place near the end of the toe, where the greatest leverage is available, while the rear end of the structure is more readily conformable to the shape of the toes for greatest comfort. As indicated in Fig. 1 the reinforcing plug may spread longitudinally under pressure, but is definitely retained in desired position.

For additional advantage I prefer that the base member 10 have a lateral extension 20 of suitable extent to project under the second toe, and having a thickened portion 21 formed to extend up along side of the second toe to insure retention of the device in desired position. The interposition of the spreading portion 21 between the second and middle toes has the effect of crowding the second toe toward the great toe and to anchor the structure the more securely against unintentional displacement.

Vhile I have herein described in some detail a particular embodiment of my inven tion it will be seen that changes in details thereof might be made without departure from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: p

1. A toe-spreading appliance formed of a material having the essential qualities of rubber and comprising in a unitary structure a base, and a single hollow post, relatively long and narrow, rising above said. base, said post being formed with a single uninterrupted ovate wall, thin and flexible throughout its rear portion and interiorly thickened for greater stiifness near the for- Ward portion thereof.

2. A toe-spreader comprising a spreading; post having transversely extending top and bottom flanges, and a toe-spreading appli-' ance comprising a continuing ovate wall havin thickened portions near its front end shape to provide opposing seats, and a plug arranged for insertion into and retention by said seats.

3. A toe-spreader comprising a spreading post having transversely extending top andbottom flanges, and a toe-spreading appliance comprising a continuing ovate wallv having thickened portions near its front end shaped to provide dished opposing seats, and y a hollow plug arranged for insertion into and retention by said seats.

4:. A toe-spreader comprising a spreading, post having transversely extending top and bottom flanges, and a toe-spreading portion comprising a continuing ovate wall having thickened portions near its front end shaped to provide a plug retaining seat, and a pneumatic plug.

5. The combination with a toe-spreader having resilient walls surrounding an opening, and a removable sealed air containing filler for said opening.

6. A bunion correcting appliance comprising, in combination, a toe-spreader post adapted to fit between the affected great toe and the second toe, to force the great toe toward natural position, and a spreader extension, not so thick as said post, shaped to extend from the base of the post around the second toe, toward the upper edge of the spreader post, to exert its spreading action between the second and third toe, and transmit an increased proportion of the corrective pressure of the device to the third and smaller toes for the purposes described.

7. The combination of a toe-spreader post adapted to fit between the great toe and the second toe, a base flange extending horizontally therefrom to underlie said toes, and a spreader extension, narrower than the length of the base flange, projecting from its lateral edge, shaped to extend around the second toe between it and the third toe, toward, but spaced apart from, the upper edge of said spreader post, said extension being thicker than the base, and all made integrally of rubber.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses;

XVILLIAM M. SCHOLL.

In the presence o'f XV. LINN ALLEN, MARY F. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

